


what's up lonely?

by orphan_account



Series: in pieces [1]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe- High School, But he's working on it, Dustin Henderson has Emotional Issues(tm), F/M, Falling In Love, Henderhop Revolution, Hurt and comfort, Jane is Still Adopted, Jopper Fam, M/M, Modern Timeline, Mutual Pining, No Hawkins Lab, Past Mileven Relationship, Pining, Slow Burn, Steve & Dustin Friendship, fake dating au, mutual understanding, no supernatural
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-28
Updated: 2019-06-28
Packaged: 2020-05-28 09:37:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19391434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: “When has something being a terrible idea ever stopped you?” Jane challenged him, eyes dancing.Dustin let out a long sigh. The longest sigh of his life, probably. “You got me there.”[or: jane was tired of people feeling sorry for her. was tired of people walking around on egg shells and trying to shield her. she needed to make sure everybody knew she was over mike. so she asks dustin to help her fake it a little bit.]





	what's up lonely?

Dustin Henderson had never claimed to be  _ smart  _ when it came to emotions. His own, or anybody else’s. Just ask any member of the Party, from the good old days of eighth grade when he’d had a crush on Max for a month, then distanced himself from them all when she started dating Lucas. He supposed it wasn’t very surprising to anybody when he sort of took an bit of a peace out when Mike and Jane broke up during sophomore year. Not to say he didn’t still hang around, because of course he did, but he’d always conveniently find something else to do or somewhere else to be whenever the awkward topic would come up. 

Eventually, sophomore year turned into junior year, and Mike and Jane found a way to be around each other again. Everybody sort of understood that things would never be the same ever again, that something a little  _ off  _ might stay in the air between Mike and Jane forever, but the two of them could joke around about their past relationship and seemed to have settled into a comfortable existence. Thankfully, with how much they’d been through, even Dustin knew it would have been a terrible thing for them to lose each other completely. 

So, it was, understandably, a little jarring for Dustin to come around the corner at the school to find Jane sitting up against her locker, tears that she wasn’t even trying to hide streaming down her face. It, as most things these days did, activated Dustin’s fight or flight reflexes and for a moment, he considering turning tail and running away. Then he realized how roughly Lucas would kick his ass if he left her like this, so he squared up his shoulders and shuffled over to her.

“Hey, Hops.” Dustin said quietly, coming forward and kicking at Jane’s ratty Nike sneaker. They’d been reduced to nothing more than glorified socks months ago, but she continuously told anybody who would listen that she wasn’t getting new sneakers until the next school year, as it would be sandals season soon enough. Dustin always expected it had more to do with them being the most expensive things that had ever been bought for Jane, and her deeply ingrained learned behavior to not waste things. But hey, it was just a theory.

Jane startled, as though she’d just realized how obviously and publicly she was crying. She shifted to sit up straighter- still on the floor- and wiped at her cheeks. “Nothing, no. I’m fine.”

Dustin frowned, feeling extremely uncomfortable. He had only seen Jane Hopper cry a handful of times in their friendship, her defensive stance always being quick to board her up and shut her down. Throughout her and Mike’s break up, Dustin hadn’t seen Jane cry once. He’d been in the presence of a bawling Mike being comforted by Will Byers more than a dozen times, Mike always quick to tear up or explode at the slightest hint of emotion, but Jane had been silent. Almost stoic. If Jane was crying now, it must have been something terrible. 

Jane was pulling herself to her feet, and tossing her bag over her shoulder when Dustin made a split second decision. If you could call it a decision, really... he mostly went into autopilot. But he was reaching out and taking hold of Jane’s wrist. “Hey, no, come on. Tell me what’s wrong.”

Jane let out a small, shaky breath and turned to look Dustin in the eyes. So serious that Dustin startled a little bit and let go of her. “You can’t tell anybody.” Jane said, crossing her arms and staring her down. “You have to  _ promise.”  _

Dustin nodded, even though he was pretty sure he didn’t want to know. “I promise.” 

Jane narrowed her eyes, then nodded as though she believed him. Dustin raised his eyebrows and Jane let out an annoyed sigh. “Will just told me.” Jane pursed her lips, as though she was getting upset about it all over again. “He just told me that he likes Mike.”

Dustin opened his mouth, then quickly closed his again. Frowned as he tried to add up what Jane had just told him. “Will like... Will Byers?” Jane nodded. “Your brother Will? Our friend Will?” Jane nodded again, looking more annoyed this time. “He likes Mike? Mike  _ Wheeler?  _ He can do better than that.”

Jane’s mouth dropped open, and tossed her hands into the air. She was turning to stomp away and Dustin jumped forward frantically to grab at her wrists to turn her back around. “No, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m bad at this. Your brother has a crush on your ex-boyfriend and you’re sad so-” The glare Jane gave him was unexpected, and Dustin let out an annoyed huff of breath. “Okay, what? What am I missing here? Please tell me, I’m clearly an idiot.”

“I wasn’t crying because I was  _ sad.”  _ Jane said slowly, with an eye roll that made it seem as though it must have been obvious. “I was crying because I was  _ frustrated!  _ I don’t care if Will likes Mike! Good luck to him, I’m over Mike. I just wish people would get that and stop acting like I’m hung up on him.”

Dustin nodded, adjusting the hat on his head. “Okay, well, if you like got another boyfriend- or a girlfriend, whatever floats your boat, dude- then people would probably leave you alone about Mike then? You could probably steal Max from Lucas if you wanted, I don’t think it would be hard.” 

Jane let out a bark of a laugh, and shook her head, eyes dancing with amusement now instead of irritation. Then a sudden spark came across her face and grabbed onto Dustin’s shoulders. “Dustin. You’ve never a had a girlfriend.”

That was it, apparently. That was her whole statement. 

“Uh!” Dustin gawked at her, shaking her off. “Excuse me! I dated Suzie back at-”

“Summer camp.” Jane said in a flat tone, raising one brow. “Fine. Let me rephrase. You’ve never had a  _ real  _ girlfriend.”

Dustin gave a loud, fake laugh and flipped her off. Jane beamed at him. 

“I’m just saying...” Jane said, tossing an arm around his shoulder despite him being nearly three inches taller than her. “They tease you about never having a girlfriend, right? Isn’t that  _ annoying?’ _

_ “ _ Get to the point, Hopper.” Dustin said slowly, already feeling more than a little bit on edge. 

Jane got a mischievous grin on her face that was just a little  _ too  _ Max-ish for Dustin’s comfort. “We should team up. We tell everybody that we’re dating, then you’ve had a girlfriend and everybody will know I’m over Mike. We pretend for a few months, then break up. Win win.” 

Dustin let out a gurgling noise from the back of his throat. “Uh, no. No offence, Hops, but that sounds... like a terrible idea.”

“When has something being a terrible idea ever stopped you?” Jane challenged him, eyes dancing. 

Dustin let out a long sigh. The longest sigh of his life, probably. “You got me there.” 

»»»

Steve Harrington cupped his hands under his chin and leaned forward on his elbows. There was a certain cockiness in his smile that made Dustin’s blood boil a little bit. 

“Shut up,” Dustin said, holding out one finger and shaking his head.

“I haven’t said anything!” Steve said sweetly and Dustin glared at him. “But if I  _ was  _ going to say something-”

“I thought I told you to shut up.” Dustin practically groaned, falling forward and draping himself almost diagonally across Steve’s desk. Two years into the job with the Chief, and Steve was still spending his days answering phones and getting coffee. Dustin knew it got to him, even if Steve didn’t say anything.

Steve’s hand came out and ruffled Dustin’s head where it was resting on the desk. “Don’t worry, I wasn’t going to give any sort of wise old man advice. You already know this is stupid.” 

Dustin cupped his hands over his ears, groaning again. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m the stupidest son of a bitch on this Earth.”

“Aw, don’t beat yourself up too bad bout it,” Steve’s laugh was a little muffled by Dustin’s hand over his ears but it still came through. “A pretty girl asked you to do her a favour and you’re doing it. It’s the downfall of every good man.”

Dustin jerked up from the table and gave Steve a disgusted look. “Jane isn’t a  _ pretty girl,  _ she’s- she’s  _ Jane.  _ She lives off soda pop and cheese pizza, and she once went seventeen days without showering in protest of having to share a bathroom with Jonathan!”

“So, exactly your type then?” Steve commented lightly with rough chuckle. Dustin made a half-aborted, threatening noise in his throat and Steve laughed. “Okay, whatever. But you’ve agreed to do it, so you’ve got to it. She’s the Chief’s daughter, and he’ll probably fire  _ me  _ if you piss him off.”

“Would that be so bad?” Dustin  _ thought  _ he muttered it quietly, but the glare Steve gave him clearly said otherwise. Dustin held his hands up in surrender and Steve rolled his eyes. “You’re in over your head, Henderson.” Steve said, pointing at Dustin with the uncapped end of a black Sharpie. “Mark my words.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever.” 

»»» 

Mike Wheeler looked understandably confused when he found Jane on the other side of his front door. It wasn’t to say she never came over, but rarely alone and never unannounced. “Hey.” Jane said, fidgeting on the front step. “I need to tell you something. Can I come in?”

A weird look settled on Mike’s face, and he glanced over his shoulder into the house. “We can sit on the porch. It’s still nice out.” 

Jane nodded understandably as Mike ushered her backwards. Mrs Wheeler had packed up and left the family a few months earlier, and the Party knew that the rest of the family was taking it somewhat hard. Nancy was away at school, finishing up her last year of college, and Mike didn’t talk about it much but Jane could see it weighing heavily on him.

They sat on the front steps, and Jane inhaled deeply. “Dustin and I are together. We’re dating.”

Mike jerked to look at her so quickly they both heard the crack that ran out. Jane’s eyes went wide and she reached out for him, hands hovering around him as he rubbed at his neck and whined. 

He started shaking his head quickly. “Hold on, wait. Dustin  _ Henderson?”  _ Jane nodded, impatient with how many people needed her to clarify last names today. Mike let out a low whistle. “Well... that’s uh... definitely the last thing I expected you to say. Seriously. You saying you spontaneously developed superpowers would have shocked me less.”

Jane shrugged one shoulder, keeping her expression blank. “Don’t rule that out. I still might one day.”

Mike laughed a little breathily, staring off the porch and looking a little overwhelmed. He rubbed at the back of his neck. “Well, I’m happy for you guys. If.. if you’re happy? I didn’t think you guys were that close.”

Jane nodded. “Yeah, but... I thought I should tell you first. In case it was, you know, weird.”

Mike turned and gave Jane a little, confused smile. “Why would it be weird? Cuz we used to date? Awe, Janes, don’t worry about it. I know we’re both over that.”

“Thank you!” Jane said, sounding too frustrated to be genuinely thanking him and she knew it. She cleared her throat. “But uh, if anybody is interested in you... or you’re interested in anybody, you have my blessing to go for it. No matter  _ who  _ it is. Not even if it’s like... Will or somebody. Date anybody you want.”

“What?” Mike asked, narrowing his eyes and shaking his head slightly. 

Jane kissed him quickly on the cheek and jumped to her feet. “Okay, good talk, Mike. See you tomorrow, bye!” 

Mike blinked hard, and Jane was already halfway down the street when he opened his eyes.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, guys! This is my first work for Stranger Things! :D I have another fic (Byler) in the works as well, set in this same universe [basically the two fics are happening at the same time, which is why there's a little Byler set up here]! I'm super excited about this, even though it's a reaaaaaallly rarepair lmao. 
> 
> [fic playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7zIsDKRiKSabkYtI3wgHm9?si=CxN5irgxSnej8WiypbEN9Q)
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr: [main blog](http://richietoizer.tumblr.com/) or [stranger things fic blog](http://henderhop.tumblr.com/)


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